Nick Piecoro

CHICAGO — The results have been atrocious so far for Bronson Arroyo, but the Diamondbacks believe the righthander is close to turning a corner and giving them the sort of production they expected when they signed him as a free agent in February.

“I think you’re going to see the Bronson that we all expect to have in the next two or three starts,” Diamondbacks pitching coach Mike Harkey said. “He’s just now getting his arm strong enough to be able to handle the load that he’s expected to handle.”

Arroyo gave up five runs in 51⁄ innings against the Chicago Cubs on Monday night, getting burned twice by the opposing pitcher, Travis Wood, who drilled a three-run homer and an RBI double. He has a 9.50 ERA and has failed to get through six innings in any of his four starts.

In retrospect, Harkey believes Arroyo’s return from the back stiffness that sidelined him for more than a week early in spring training was rushed, and if he had it to do over again, Harkey says he would proceed more cautiously than the team did.

“You have to give him the benefit of the doubt when you’re talking about where he is physically,” Harkey said. “As far as his arm is concerned, nobody knows better than him what it takes for him to get ready. In hindsight, I wish I could have got him more innings and more time on the mound before we got him out there against the Giants (on April 3), but it is what it is, and now we have to deal with it.”

Hill rests

Second baseman Aaron Hill, who entered Tuesday just 8 for 43 (.163) in his past 11 games and 2 for12 on this road trip, was out of the starting lineup on Tuesday.

He said he spoke recently with hitting coach Turner Ward, who told him he didn’t see anything that needed adjusting with his swing. Hill feels the same way.

“I was hoping he would say something else I could work on,” Hill said, “but it’s just one of those where it’s keep going, keep grinding.”

Dirty looks

Cubs right-hander Pedro Strop said the pitch he threw behind the Diamondbacks’ Miguel Montero on Monday night “was definitely not on purpose.”

He said he was trying to establish the inside part of the plate, and the pitch got away from him. Strop said that after Montero glared at him, he returned the dirty look.

“I just couldn’t command that pitch,” Strop said. “He thought it was on purpose, he just gave me that look and I gave it back.”